Garden stake and reel



Oct. 31 1933. M. s. COPLEN GARDEN STAKE AND REEL Filed April 15, 1932Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to reels and is directed more particularly tomanually operated reels for indicating a line between two or morepoints.

In laying out gardens, walks, fence lines and similar operations, it isoften desirable to mark the direction by means of a string which isusually fastened to pegs that are driven into the ground. These pegs areeasily misplaced and usually being made of Wood, they are easilydamaged.

It is the primary object of my invention to overcome these difficulties'by providing a relatively simple device consisting of two pegs or groundengaging elements, one telescoped within the other, so that the outerelement maybe forced in the ground and serve to hold one end of astring, an the inner element carrying a reel on which the string iswound, may be removed and forced into the ground at some remote point.

Another object is to provide a reel of this character which shallconsist of few parts which are simple in construction, and inexpensiveto manufacture, andwhich may be readily and easily operated.

With the foregoing and other objects in viev, the invention may bestated to consist in the various novel features of construction andarrangement or combination, all of which will be fully describedhereinafter and pointed out in I the appended claims.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this application,

Figure l is'a side elevation with parts in section showing my reel inposition and marking a straight line between two points;

Figure 2 is a side'elevation with parts broken away of the device inassembled or telescoped relation; and,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the device.

A reel constructed in accordance with my invention comprises a tubularground engaging element 1 having a sharpened portion 2 at one end, andat the opposite end said element is preferably enlarged at 3 to receivea set screw 4 which is threaded transversely therein.

The tubular element 1 is adapted to receive a rod 5, one end of which issharpened as indicated at 6, while the opposite end projects beyond thetubular element 1. Journalled on the upper projecting end of rod 5 is areel which is adapted to receive the cord or other flexible element tobe wound thereon. This reel comprises a sleeve 6 having a shoulder '7and a threaded portion 8. A circular reel flange 9 is engaged over thethreaded portion 8 and is clamped between shoulder 7 and a reel core 10that is engaged with threaded portion 8. A second reel flange 11 havinga rounded outer face 12 is engaged on the upper end of core 10 and ismaintained in position by a screw 13 threaded into the core. The reelstructure is rotatably journalled on rod 5 and is prevented from beingwithdrawn therefrom by a set screw 14 which is threaded through sleeve 5and engaged in a reduced portion 15 that is formed on rod 5. The rod 5is also provided with a second reduced portion 16 in which the set screw4 is adapted to engage to retain the rod 5 and tubular ground engagingelement 1 in assembled position.

In use, a cord or other flexible element indicated at 1'7 is Wound onthe reel and has the inner end thereof fastened to one of the reelflanges while the outer end is adapted to be fastened to the tubularground engaging element 1. The operator forces the ground engagingelement 1 into the ground by pressing downwardly on the rounded andsmooth portion of the reel flange '12, whereupon set screw 4 is loosenedto permit the rod 5 and reel to be withdrawn from the tubular element 1.The operator then walks toward the desired point, carrying the reel bythe rod 5 so that the reel may rotate freely onthe rod. When the desiredpoint is reached, the rod 5 is forced into the ground by pressingdownwardly on the rounded reel fiange 12.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a tubular groundengaging element, a second ground engaging element telescoped withinsaid tubular member, a reel journalled on said second mentioned groundengaging element, said reel and second element serving as a means toforce said first element into the ground, and a detachable connectionbetween said elements.

2. A device of the character described comprising a tubular groundengaging element, a rod disposed within said tubular element andprojecting therebeyond, and a reel journalled on said rod, said reelhaving a rounded flange forming a handle portion: to facilitate forcingsaid tubular ground engaging element into the ground when said elementand rod are in telescoped relation.

3. A device of the character described comprising a ground engagingelement in the form of a rod, a sleeve rotatably journaled on said rod,and a reel secured to said sleeve, said .reel having the face of the endflange thereof on the side opposite the said ground engaging elementrounded and smooth thereby constituting a handle portion to facilitateforcing said ground engaging element into the ground.

MILO G. COPLEN.

